How to Make Your Own Camera Lens

These instructions are to create lens for experimental photography on a DSLR camera, the base is a T ring adapter, these area cheap and easy to find, you must get one for the brand/model camera you have.

In this sample, I am using three sources for parts, one is a part from an optical device, the other is from an old film camera and the last is from a broken lens, this is from another brand of camera but is mounted and works

Please consider this is for experimental photo, be careful, once you finish your assemblies, clean the lens, so you not end with particles in the interior of your camera.

In addition, off course, you must have a pinhole camera cap, this is a must for experimental photo, no lens at all!

Step 1: Get the Base

First things first

In order to have your lens fit in the camera, we will use a T2-Ring, these are used for Astrophotography, if you own a camera, a telescope and do not have one of this, I recommend getting more than one and try using your telescope with the camera.

Please make sure to have one that match the brand/model of your camera, this is a cost effective solution for the base in this project, there are other options, but this are more complex, we will leave these for another instructable.

There are some variables for the ring, some came as a kit, and some come alone, in a kit, some come with an extender, a section that can change the length for the focal size, if you plan to use this with a telescope take this in to account.

In the picture, I have one with tape; this is to match the diameter of the piece to be fit next.

Step 2: Get Your Lens

The first option to get the lens is from old optical devices, many devices use lenses, (film projectors, still projectors and other cameras ), but we will use the ones that are mounted on barrels with a similar size of a normal camera lens.

In this case I’m using a lens “as found” on a flea market, of course it was cleaned properly.

As described in the previous step, tape was used to make the fit, since the difference on size was minimal; it was put in place with little pressure.

Do this operation before to mount this on the camera. A piece of advice if you have kids that help you with the experiments.

Please consider that this case the lens have a fixed focus distance, to focus you need to move the camera.

Step 3: Second Option

In this case, the parts come from an old film camera, this one was a point and shoot model, plastic case, but the lens module have a similar size to our gadget, so, we get the part and fit this on our base.

This module have more than one lens, we have a different focal distance.

Step 4: More Features

Here we have a part from an old film camera lens mounted on the ring with tape.

As we see in the picture, we have a diaphragm, also, we have some focusing range.

Step 5: Look Ma No Lens

And finally

With no lens at all

This is made with a cap, the logo removed with sandpaper, in order to have interchangeable paper holes.